Delboy's First Project: Gloucester Sharpness 16

[delb0y]

I've been pondering on doing a project for sometime, in order to give myself a bit of direction now and then. As most of my photography, recently, has been whilst walking the towpath of the Gloucester to Sharpness Canal, I thought turning those walks into a project would be an easy way to start. So I've come up with the plan to do a small selection of photos illustrating each mile of the 16 miles length. I'm not sure how this will pan out, but for now it's about taking a selection of shots, culling them into something manageable, and then later assembling them.

Today is mile # 1. All of these were taking on the tiny Lumix GM1 and the 12x32 lens - although I'm not restricting myself to any specific camera, lens, or style for the project.

The start: mile zero. This is a shot taken from the bridge which marks the start of the canal. Behind me is Gloucester docks.

One of the reasons I took the GM1 (apart from the fact I was on my bike and wanted something that I could fit in my pocket) is that I wanted to try and use a wide lens and get lots of layers into some of the shots. This one is called "The Conversation".

Here we have "The Steps" - leading from the second bridge on the canal down to the towpath:

This part of the canal - a turning bay for large ships - was completed in 1892. Now being converted to waterside accommodation - hence the title "New Build":

There will be more people shots (probably anglers and boaters) as I get to less built up areas of the canal. This long wharf is very popular with lure fisherman after pike and zander. Alas, there were none there today (they were all in mile # 2). I was down here recently when the whole area was thick with police and police-divers dragging the canal searching for a murder weapon...

And here we have the milepost that marks the end of mile # 1 (Gloucester 1 mile / Sharpness 15 miles).

 

[Topsy]

Looks like an interesting project Derek.

 

[Boots]

A great project Derek, I look forward to following your progress.

I really like The Steps, great!

 

[Ed Sutton]

Good stuff. Shall be following this. Not least in case there are photos of pike and zander!

 

[Plain Nev]

I've been pondering on doing a project for sometime, in order to give myself a bit of direction now and then. As most of my photography, recently, has been whilst walking the towpath of the Gloucester to Sharpness Canal, I thought turning those walks into a project would be an easy way to start. So I've come up with the plan to do a small selection of photos illustrating each mile of the 16 miles length. I'm not sure how this will pan out, but for now it's about taking a selection of shots, culling them into something manageable, and then later assembling them.

Today is mile # 1. All of these were taking on the tiny Lumix GM1 and the 12x32 lens - although I'm not restricting myself to any specific camera, lens, or style for the project.

The start: mile zero. This is a shot taken from the bridge which marks the start of the canal. Behind me is Gloucester docks.

One of the reasons I took the GM1 (apart from the fact I was on my bike and wanted something that I could fit in my pocket) is that I wanted to try and use a wide lens and get lots of layers into some of the shots. This one is called "The Conversation".

Here we have "The Steps" - leading from the second bridge on the canal down to the towpath:

This part of the canal - a turning bay for large ships - was completed in 1892. Now being converted to waterside accommodation - hence the title "New Build":

There will be more people shots (probably anglers and boaters) as I get to less built up areas of the canal. This long wharf is very popular with lure fisherman after pike and zander. Alas, there were none there today (they were all in mile # 2). I was down here recently when the whole area was thick with police and police-divers dragging the canal searching for a murder weapon...

And here we have the milepost that marks the end of mile # 1 (Gloucester 1 mile / Sharpness 15 miles).

Look forward to seeing your progress.

 

[gramps]

I've been pondering on doing a project for sometime, in order to give myself a bit of direction now and then. As most of my photography, recently, has been whilst walking the towpath of the Gloucester to Sharpness Canal, I thought turning those walks into a project would be an easy way to start. So I've come up with the plan to do a small selection of photos illustrating each mile of the 16 miles length. I'm not sure how this will pan out, but for now it's about taking a selection of shots, culling them into something manageable, and then later assembling them.

Today is mile # 1. All of these were taking on the tiny Lumix GM1 and the 12x32 lens - although I'm not restricting myself to any specific camera, lens, or style for the project.

The start: mile zero. This is a shot taken from the bridge which marks the start of the canal. Behind me is Gloucester docks.

One of the reasons I took the GM1 (apart from the fact I was on my bike and wanted something that I could fit in my pocket) is that I wanted to try and use a wide lens and get lots of layers into some of the shots. This one is called "The Conversation".

Here we have "The Steps" - leading from the second bridge on the canal down to the towpath:

This part of the canal - a turning bay for large ships - was completed in 1892. Now being converted to waterside accommodation - hence the title "New Build":

There will be more people shots (probably anglers and boaters) as I get to less built up areas of the canal. This long wharf is very popular with lure fisherman after pike and zander. Alas, there were none there today (they were all in mile # 2). I was down here recently when the whole area was thick with police and police-divers dragging the canal searching for a murder weapon...

And here we have the milepost that marks the end of mile # 1 (Gloucester 1 mile / Sharpness 15 miles).

Look forward to following your project - I know the Docks area pretty well but not much of the area further down.

 

[delb0y]

Mile # 2 is a real crochet hook of a mile. Just one long straight and then a bit of a curve at the end. Not overly happy with these - I found myself pondering on whether I want to be taking nice photos, or simply documenting the canal. I plumped for the latter, but I think I might well go back when the light is better and try and get some nicer pictures. But really there is little happening with Mile # 2. We're edging out of town, with the canal running parallel to the once heavily-industrialised Bristol Road.

Here's a look at the length of Mile # 2 - although there's not actually a great deal to look at. We're facing back towards town, back towards Mile # 1.

Up at the bridge that you can just make out in the distance above, I found this nice little juxtaposition, which I call "Hot and Cold":

On the far bank, across from these two fellows, is an old timber yard. Here's the view from the other side of the canal (which you can see running across the top of the yard):

In the top right of the yard you may notice an old building with a round roof. Here's another view of the same building:

As we edge out of town there's a long stretch where boating types like to moor up:

Edging out of town a little further we come to the aforementioned crochet hook. This is at "two mile bend". A favourite swim for match fishermen. The canal used to have a fairly sharp ninety degree bend here, but when the South Gloucester ring road was built a new swing bridge was needed. To allow for the necessary space on which to build the bridge the canal was slightly rerouted. Here you can see the new route, going beneath the great swing bridge, and the old route, which is now a dead arm:

The swing bridge doesn't look too big on the above photo, but it is fairly substantial. In this next shot you can see the buffer that takes all the weight when it swings open:

And just on the other side of the bridge we come to the end of Mile # 2. Fourteen more and we'll be at Sharpness...

 

[Boots]

An interesting set.

I understand your dilemma between "nice pictures" and documentary. That is natural with a personal project like this, and only you can decide the right answer. Of course, you could change your mind about that right answer day by day, or even shot by shot.

For my own project, I decided to try and get the best shot I can, but the reality is I can only work with what I have on the day. Sometimes I can give myself the luxury of going back, but I can't always do so. I am therefore sometimes forced to compromise on a "record shot". First world problems!

 

[delb0y]

Mile # 3

These first few miles are very familiar to me because it's along this towpath that I cycle whenever I go into town, and I always carry a camera. Consequently I have scores of photos going back years (and I'm taking new ones all the time). I'm not sure whether or not using existing photos "counts". I know there are no rules and it's up to me, so I shall have to see. My original intent was (and possible still is) to use just a single photo for each mile, along with a start and finish shot. If that's the case, then this whole thread is a bit of overkill, and I may be inflicting upon you many shots that will not ultimately be chosen. Again, I know there are no rules - I'm just trying to figure this stuff out for this first project and first project thread.

Anyway, Mile # 3 runs from just beyond the new bridge at Two Mile Bend. Here we have an early morning shot, with the wood smoke in the air.

Just to my right from the above shot is the second half of the dead arm first mentioned in Mile # 2, which was the old route before that bridge was constructed. The dead arm is a favourite haunt of anglers who don't always take their rubbish home:

If one were to stand on the bank at the far end of the above dead arm and look right, you'll more often than not see a line of moored boats:

Once around the above bend the rest of the mile is dead straight. We start off with Sims Bridge:

Followed by the long straight to Rea Bridge, here showing the lunchtime activity:

And one of the aforementioned "old shots" of the same stretch on a foggy weekend morning:

Lastly, a visitor to a sign just beyond Rea Bridge and just before the end of Mile #3:

And that's Mile # 3. Thirteen more and we'll be at Sharpness...

 

[gramps]

Kingfisher - what a bonus!